For men like Gary Movember is a time of fluff love

By Jane Graham

For many men, November has taken on a new meaning these last few years. Rather than simply being the month between autumn and Christmas, thanks to Movember it's now a time for the cultivation of facial hair, to be endured under the public gaze.

For many men, November has taken on a new meaning these last few years. Rather than simply being the month between autumn and Christmas, thanks to Movember it's now a time for the cultivation of facial hair, to be endured under the public gaze.

And how touching it is to see the likes of Mark Lawrenson attempting to chat nonchalantly about Arsenal's need for a strong midfield while a partially bald grey squirrel takes up residence under his very nose.

Even more courageous than the Lawros are those brave souls who are persisting with what we all now know is four weeks of what's charmingly known as bum fluff. Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker might have ostensibly retained their dignity - though Lineker suggested this week he had been participating in Movember and no one had noticed - but the heroes of this charity campaign are plain to see. It's just that, in some cases, you might need a magnifying glass.